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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
sin or scruples	Mary	Saturday, November 24, 2007
Question: Dear Brother, I hope you are keeping well. I`d like your help with a few things. I`m anxious about at the moment. I was quite ill and am receiving financial benefit . Although My condition fluctuates, I feel much better now and feel that I`m no longer entitles to it, but my husband won`t allow me to give the benefit up yet. I`ve confessed this several times to my priest in confession and he repeatedly says it's scruples and I am to continue receiving it until I`m reviewed in a few months. Each time I`m ok for a while and then I become anxious again. I fear that I am committing a sin and imagine that I may not be in a state of grace. I cry, when it intrudes into my thoughts when I pray, and beg Jesus to help me. I go to confessions regularly and although I know intellectually that I am sorry for all my other sins I can`t "feel" sorrow any more. Sometimes when I visit the blessed Sacrament I think that God has abandoned me because of my sin, and that I`m a nuisance . I seem to have "lost" a sense of His presence. I know I`m not depressed and wonder if it`s just "you know who" trying to destroy my trust and hope in God. Many thanks for a wonderful site . Mary
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Mary: When it comes to medical issues, it is the doctor who must make the decision about whether or not you still need the benefit. This is sort of like taking antibiotics. The doctor prescribes 10 days of medication, but you start feeling better after 6 days so you stop taking the rest of the medication. As a result, your infection comes back. If the doctor prescribed 10 days of medication then you need to take 10 days of medication even if you are feeling better after only a few days. This is similar. You need to wait until your review and let the qualified people determine whether or not you need to continue on the benefits. You are not committing a sin in any case. The agency determines your eligibility, not you. God, of course, has not abandoned you. God loves you and is always with you even when you do not feel Him. If you have lost your sense of His presence perhaps it is because you have clouded your senses with unnecessary worrying and speculation about alleged sins. Trust in God. God is NOT a liar. When the priest absolves you from your sin, that sin is GONE -- it no longer exists. If is up to you. The devil can certainly try to make you lose hope and trust, but only if you let him. Remember the things you KNOW to be true instead of what you "feel" to be true. God loves you. You KNOW this because the Bible tells us so. You KNOW that He has not abandoned you, because the Bible tells you so. You KNOW that your receiving benefits is not a sin because your confessor has told you so. Feeling will trip us up every time. Go with what you KNOW to be true. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

sin or scruples

Mary

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Question:

Dear Brother, I hope you are keeping well.

I`d like your help with a few things. I`m anxious about at the moment.

I was quite ill and am receiving financial benefit . Although My condition fluctuates, I feel much better now and feel that I`m no longer entitles to it, but my husband won`t allow me to give the benefit up yet.

I`ve confessed this several times to my priest in confession and he repeatedly says it's scruples and I am to continue receiving it until I`m reviewed in a few months. Each time I`m ok for a while and then I become anxious again.

I fear that I am committing a sin and imagine that I may not be in a state of grace.

I cry, when it intrudes into my thoughts when I pray, and beg Jesus to help me.

I go to confessions regularly and although I know intellectually that I am sorry for all my other sins I can`t "feel" sorrow any more.

Sometimes when I visit the blessed Sacrament I think that God has abandoned me because of my sin, and that I`m a nuisance . I seem to have "lost" a sense of His presence.

I know I`m not depressed and wonder if it`s just "you know who" trying to destroy my trust and hope in God.

Many thanks for a wonderful site . Mary

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Mary:

When it comes to medical issues, it is the doctor who must make the decision about whether or not you still need the benefit. This is sort of like taking antibiotics. The doctor prescribes 10 days of medication, but you start feeling better after 6 days so you stop taking the rest of the medication. As a result, your infection comes back. If the doctor prescribed 10 days of medication then you need to take 10 days of medication even if you are feeling better after only a few days.

This is similar.

You need to wait until your review and let the qualified people determine whether or not you need to continue on the benefits.

You are not committing a sin in any case. The agency determines your eligibility, not you.

God, of course, has not abandoned you. God loves you and is always with you even when you do not feel Him. If you have lost your sense of His presence perhaps it is because you have clouded your senses with unnecessary worrying and speculation about alleged sins.

Trust in God. God is NOT a liar. When the priest absolves you from your sin, that sin is GONE -- it no longer exists. If is up to you. The devil can certainly try to make you lose hope and trust, but only if you let him.

Remember the things you KNOW to be true instead of what you "feel" to be true. God loves you. You KNOW this because the Bible tells us so. You KNOW that He has not abandoned you, because the Bible tells you so. You KNOW that your receiving benefits is not a sin because your confessor has told you so.

Feeling will trip us up every time. Go with what you KNOW to be true.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum